The transfer window has been open for a whole week and Man Utd haven’t signed yet! What can Harry Kane do now?
What Man Utd need is a signing of a statement
This back from The sun made Mediawatch smile because it reminded us of that wonderful time in the summer of 2021 when The Sun’s showbiz reporter declared that Harry Kane absolutely joined Manchester City for £160m because his brother chose his own wedding day to play his (very poor) hand. Such days. Such fun. Mediawatch from the regrettable episode remains a personal favourite.
So Mediawatch would rather cynically suggest that Kane has tried very hard to ‘make it happen’ in the past and basically ended up looking like a complete dick. Not quite as much as his brother but still. A dick.
Now this latest piece written by Manchester United reporter Neil Custis is so clearly starting from the position that it is Harry Kane or Tottenham’s fault that this transfer is highly unlikely and absolutely nothing to do with Manchester United know the asking price and refuse. to meet it.
That is their prerogative, but the idea that Kane can somehow ‘make this happen’ is absurd. Should he ask Daniel Levy to drop his price by £20m?
FRUSTRATED Manchester United have told Harry Kane: If you want the move, make it happen.
FRUSTRATED Manchester United may be better off telling Daniel Levy they will pay £100m. Or just give up the whole villain to go and overpay for another attacking target.
United’s hierarchy ready to walk away from blockbuster transfer of Kane after difficulties negotiating with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.
Can you “walk away” from something that isn’t even close to being finished? It’s like filing for divorce halfway through the appetizers on a first date. That Daily mail wrote yesterday that ‘the club have ended their interest in Kane for now’, so it may be a bit late for an ultimatum.
But in a last ditch effort to move things along, they want Tottenham’s all-time top scorer to come out with a transfer request or a strongly worded statement about his desire to go to Old Trafford.
Because if there’s one thing that will make the remarkably hard-ass Levy sell his most valuable asset for less than his worth (to Spurs, not Manchester United), it’s a ‘strongly worded statement’. Maybe he could use a gang.
The Red Devils value Kane at around £80m, while the asking price is £100m for a player who turns 30 next month with just one year left on his contract.
Sorry Neil but it doesn’t matter what you or indeed Manchester United think of the asking price. As a wise man once wrote: ‘A transfer fee merely captures a moment when the circumstances of two clubs collide.’ This summer – with Spurs needing one more season from Kane to settle nerves, deliver quality and attract quality – Kane is worth £100m to Tottenham. If he is not worth it to Manchester United then that is their problem. No ‘strongly worded statement’ will change that.
Their cross-town rivals Manchester City found themselves in a similar situation two years ago when they were willing to offer £100m for Kane with Spurs after £150m.
City also wanted Kane to push for a move, but it was felt he didn’t go far enough to engineer one.
So much to pick up here. Kane and his brother literally used your newspaper to declare a move was ‘inevitable’ by suggesting Levy had ‘caved’ and would accept £160m. The only question was whether Manchester City or Tottenham were more surprised by this naked attempt to make a move. Strange that he might not be ready to try again.
United are already looking at alternatives and have opened preliminary talks over the potential £52m capture of Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund.
Just wait until Custis finds out that Atalanta want £86m for Hojlund. Perhaps the Dane should try a strongly worded statement.
Panic is rising
Manchester United have apparently advised that they will not offer more money for Mason Mount, although we don’t think so Mail man Chris Wheeler’s point here is as good as he thinks it is:
Man Utd decided not to overpay for Mason Mount after the second £50m bid failed. got rejected. Be aware that Chelsea are selling Mateo Kovacic to Man City for £30m. with a year left on his contract – a year after signing Raheem Sterling from City for £47.5m. in a similar situation. #mufc
— Chris Wheeler (@ChrisWheelerDM) 21 June 2023
Peky fact: Mateo Kovacic is 29. Raheem Sterling was 27. Mason Mount is 24.
Mirror David McDonnell has gone big with the United briefing, writing that “Manchester United have made a new £50m bid for Mason Mount, but have warned Chelsea they will not be held to ransom”. Which is now the bookmark for when United will be held to ransom.
But the panic is that United have so far failed to sign despite the transfer window being open for a WHOLE WEEK. What the hell are they playing at?
Once again, Mediawatch has moved to remind everyone that United’s first signing last summer was made on July 5th and everything went very well. So panicking on June 22 feels a bit premature.
While immediate rivals Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal are already moving forward in terms of adding to their squads, United are yet to make a first signing of the summer, with the takeover saga compromising Ten Hag’s ability to get his business done as quickly as he would like to have.
Wow there. The only one of those three clubs to make a summer signing is Liverpool, who finished eight points behind United last season and lost four first-team players on free transfers. Their needs were far greater.
Meanwhile, Manchester City have agreed a £25m fee. for Kovacic but have lost their captain Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer; it is net negative. And Arsenal have agreed a £65million fee for Kai Havertz, which most observers believe is a bit excessive. United have not been outdone by failing to sign on June 22.
McDonnell followed his news update with another piece detailing how frustrated Erik ten Hag is with the slow transfer progress…
Almost a month after Manchester United returned to the Champions League, they have yet to make a move in the summer transfer market.
They literally played in the FA Cup final less than three weeks ago. And the transfer window opened a week ago.
Mediawatch stopped clicking through the seasons after a decade or so, but the only Manchester United summer signings they have made before June 22 were Eric Bailly and Daniel James. Are these the kind of deals United should emulate in a hurry?
The United manager’s frustration will be compounded by rivals Manchester City moving quickly to sign Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea, Liverpool’s capture of Alexis MacAllister and Arsenal’s early move for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice.
Only one of these signings actually happened, David.
We’ve already covered how Kovacic will be a replacement for Gundogan, while Arsenal may have made an ‘early move’ for Rice, but they’ve hit the same wall United have hit with both Kane and Mount: The selling club want more money. And they can still lose to Manchester City.
It’s almost as if it’s only June 22 and there’s really no need to panic.